Wellness Guide to a Healthy Body: Colon Cancer Screening

Helping You to a Healthy Lifestyle

Colon cancer affects men and women. Approximately 40,000 persons will die of colon cancer this year. National surveys suggest only one-third of eligible people are routinely screened for colon cancer.

Screening should be done for everyone 50 years of age and older. Options for testing are:

• Colonoscopy every 10 years for average risk patients. For people with a family history of colon cancer or precancerous polyps, colonoscopy is recommended more often. Your health care provider will discuss frequency of examinations with you.
• Fecal blood testing every year (stool check for blood)
• Other screening test recommendations are currently being reviewed nationally. These include sigmoidoscopy every 5 years and fecal occult blood testing every year, and double contrast barium enema every 5 years.

More information on the importance of colon cancer screening.